“Satisfaction: An Inside Job”
Father’s Day has been difficult for me for many years. I wanted to be a dad, and am glad that I had the privilege—four times, no less! I am glad that I was a dad, but I am not glad for the kind of dad I was a good bit of the time. I made lots of horrible mistakes, and made them repeatedly. I got some things right, but not a lot of them. I suspect that I am not alone in being glad to be a dad, but being very self-critical about the job I did.
However, I am determined that Father’s Day will not be as difficult today. Partly, that is because of one of the readings from Hazelden Publishing that I did this morning. It really spoke to me.
“Satisfaction Comes from Inside
Why do we continually expect to be satisfied by taking in and possessing things
from the outside? Amassing material goods and possessions more often than not
stimulates rather than satisfies our appetite. What we do and contribute
satisfies us more than what we have and consume.
When we are at peace within ourselves and in contact with our Higher Power, we
make fewer demands on the outside world. When we are able to use our abilities
in productive work and can give of our emotional and spiritual strength to
other people, we feel replete.
Nothing from the outside can bring us happiness if we are at war with
ourselves. Chronic dissatisfaction indicates that we have not turned our will
and our lives over to God’s care, but are still trying to run the show
egotistically. Complete surrender opens the way to satisfaction.
I want to surrender to the inner needs of my spirit.”
(From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L.)
I was especially struck by the sentence, “What we do and contribute satisfies us more than what we have and consume.”
The thing for me to do today (or any day), in order to have a good day is to focus on what I am doing and contributing today.
The past is the past. It isn’t going to change. But today lies open before me. I can either throw a poor-pitiful-me regret party, or I can be productive and contribute to the well-being of others. The choice is mine. It is also yours. Let’s choose wisely.
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